OntoCarer: an ontological framework for assistive agents for the disabled

The OntoCarer Framework is a research programme of the Centre for Intelligent Systems Research of London Metropolitan University which aims at utilizing contemporary Web and Mobile Internet technologies for assisting disabled, elderly and impaired people. In this framework software agents will act on behalf of both the assisted and the assisting people. Its conceptual foundation is based on the World Health Organisation classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The software agents will be located on their mobile telephones, and coordinated through service organisation agent. The representations used for the agent profiles will be Semantic Web ones built using RDF/OWL. The agent planning in the framework is organized on two-levels, combining an offline deductive planner, based on the BDI theory of rational behaviour and semantic pattern matching, and a continuous online planning, based on an action ontology and event-driven programming. This paper presents the pilot implementation of the framework which utilizes only standard communications infrastructure, public service hosting, open source software and inexpensive mobile devices

Assistive Technology for Successful Aging: Perspectives from Developmental Behavioral and Neuroscience

Growing into old age is a personal privilege and a societal achievement. However, it is also a challenge for both the individuals and societies. The impressive gains in extending average physical longevity to 75 years and beyond is not necessary accompanied by high-levels of physical, psychological, and brain "fitness". Thus, it is important to seek ways to help older adults maintaining functions in these domains in order to maintain life quality in old age. Adaptive assistive devices and environments are promising technological advancements for promoting successful aging. Sufficient plasticity in the aging psychological and neurocognitive systems are necessary for technologies to engender desired effects. Designs and evaluations of assistive technologies need to consider dynamic changes in developmental resources across the lifespan. This paper reviews evidence of behavioral and neurocognitive plasticity in old age and highlights psychological principles for successful aging technologies

An ontological framework for assisting people with disabilities in organisations

The aim of this thesis was to construct an ontological framework - the OntoCarer Ontological Framework, that is used in a software application to create an assistive social network for organisations and agents, which identifies the need for assistance for those with disabilities intending but unable to perform those actions, and searches for their assisters, and then directs and provides the relevant assistance to satisfy those intentions. This Ontological Framework was constructed using the languages of the Semantic Web including OWL and RDF. The agents involved were construed as BDI agents. The reason for constructing such an ontological framework and software application was that there was a gap in existing BDI theory whereby agents were expected to implement their own intentions. In the case of persons with disabilities this may not be the case, for them disability can mean an impairment of agency that requires assistance if the intention is to be fulfilled. To fulfil the aims of the project and thesis meant extending BDI theory to include people with disabilities, and creating Semantic Web representations of BDI concepts and creating a BDI software agent - the Organisation Agent that could act as intermediary between the assisted and assisters in an organisation, communicating via mobile phones. The Organisation Agent is able to identify when an action becomes an intention and whether the action is impaired so needing assistance, and if it does need assistance to find the assisting actions from those available, then select the optimal assister and its agent and direct it to the assisted agent. This is the OntoCarer Assistance Lifecycle. To do this it depends upon the OntoCarer Ontological Framework which are seven top-level OWL ontologies: Agent, Social Action, Body Components, Body Abilities, Organisation, Buildings, and OntoCarerLink-Ontology. The Framework is also compatible with the WHO ICF classifications. The OntoCarer-Link-Ontology is an ontology of properties used to link the assisted actions with the assister actions, and so create an assistive social network for an organisation. A methodology - the OntoCarer Ontological Framework Methodology was defined to construct the top-level ontologies, the domain ontology extensions for the Education domain, and an RDF model of a simulated college. A Java software application was created that implemented the Organisation Agent with a BDI architecture. Scenarios were run on the application to successfully test the execution of the OntoCarer Assistance Lifecycle on the college RDF model in order to validate the Framework

New Insights into the Mechanism of Ruthenium-Catalyzed Olefin Metathesis Reactions

Over the past two decades, olefin metathesis has emerged as a mild and efficient method for the formation of carbon−carbon double bonds. In particular, (PCy_3)_2(Cl)_2RuCHPh (1)^2 has found extensive use in organic and polymer chemistry due to its high reactivity with olefins in the presence of a diverse array of functional groups. Recently, a new family of ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts have been prepared by the substitution of a single PCy_3 ligand of 1 with an N-heterocyclic carbene. These new alkylidenes, particularly [Figure 1], exhibit dramatically increased activity over the parent system in ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ring-closing metathesis,4a and cross metathesis reactions. The mechanism of olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by 1 has received intense investigation in our group and others and early studies established that phosphine dissociation is a crucial step along the reaction coordinate. As such, it has been suggested that the high activity of 2 and its analogues is due to their increased ability to promote this critical phosphine dissociation step. We report herein a detailed mechanistic study of phosphine exchange and initiation kinetics in alkylidenes 1 and 2. This study provides new and surprising evidence concerning the origin of the large activity differences between these two catalysts

Applying economic restrictions to foreign exchange rate dynamics: spot rates, futures, and options

Extant models of exchange rate behavior have typically relied on statistical rather than economic considerations. The approach has been to employ a variant of the generalized central limit theorem to develop tests for the models proposed. ; We propose a minimal set of simple economic restrictions symmetry, invariance, and non-negativity that must be satisfied by an exchange rate process. By symmetry, we mean that both the direct and indirect exchange rate processes must belong to the same class of distributions. By invariance, we mean that the distribution for an exchange rate must be invariant to changes in the currency unit. By non-negativity, we mean that the exchange rate process must preclude negative values. We identify various alternative specifications for exchange rate processes and show that some of them do not possess some or all of the above properties. Finally, we propose a new exchange rate process -- the mean-reverting logarithmic process (MRL) -- and develop valuation equations for several exchange rate instruments, from forward and futures contracts to straight options on the spot rates to options on the futures contracts.Foreign exchange rates ; Futures ; International finance

Psychological principles of successful aging technologies: A mini-review

Based on resource-oriented conceptions of successful life-span development, we propose three principles for evaluating assistive technology: (a) net resource release; (b) person specificity, and (c) proximal versus distal frames of evaluation. We discuss how these general principles can aid the design and evaluation of assistive technology in adulthood and old age, and propose two technological strategies, one targeting sensorimotor and the other cognitive functioning. The sensorimotor strategy aims at releasing cognitive resources such as attention and working memory by reducing the cognitive demands of sensory or sensorimotor aspects of performance. The cognitive strategy attempts to provide adaptive and individualized cuing structures orienting the individual in time and space by providing prompts that connect properties of the environment to the individual's action goals. We argue that intelligent assistive technology continuously adjusts the balance between `environmental support' and `self-initiated processing' in person-specific and aging-sensitive ways, leading to enhanced allocation of cognitive resources. Furthermore, intelligent assistive technology may foster the generation of formerly latent cognitive resources by activating developmental reserves (plasticity). We conclude that `lifespan technology', if co-constructed by behavioral scientists, engineers, and aging individuals, offers great promise for improving both the transition from middle adulthood to old age and the degree of autonomy in old age in present and future generations. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Predicting change trajectories of neuroticism from baseline brain structure using whole brain analyses and latent growth curve models in adolescents

International audienceAbstract Adolescence is a vulnerable time for personality development. Especially neuroticism with its link to the development of psychopathology is of interest concerning influential factors. The present study exploratorily investigates neuroanatomical signatures for developmental trajectories of neuroticism based on a voxel-wise whole-brain structural equation modelling framework. In 1,814 healthy adolescents of the IMAGEN sample, the NEO-FFI was acquired at three measurement occasions across five years. Based on a partial measurement invariance second-order latent growth curve model we conducted whole-brain analyses on structural MRI data at age 14 years, predicting change in neuroticism over time. We observed that a reduced volume in the pituitary gland was associated with the slope of neuroticism over time. However, no relations with prefrontal areas emerged. Both findings are discussed against the background of possible genetic and social influences that may account for this result

Developmental cognitive neuroscience using latent change score models: A tutorial and applications.

Assessing and analysing individual differences in change over time is of central scientific importance to developmental neuroscience. However, the literature is based largely on cross-sectional comparisons, which reflect a variety of influences and cannot directly represent change. We advocate using latent change score (LCS) models in longitudinal samples as a statistical framework to tease apart the complex processes underlying lifespan development in brain and behaviour using longitudinal data. LCS models provide a flexible framework that naturally accommodates key developmental questions as model parameters and can even be used, with some limitations, in cases with only two measurement occasions. We illustrate the use of LCS models with two empirical examples. In a lifespan cognitive training study (COGITO, N = 204 (N = 32 imaging) on two waves) we observe correlated change in brain and behaviour in the context of a high-intensity training intervention. In an adolescent development cohort (NSPN, N = 176, two waves) we find greater variability in cortical thinning in males than in females. To facilitate the adoption of LCS by the developmental community, we provide analysis code that can be adapted by other researchers and basic primers in two freely available SEM software packages (lavaan and Ωnyx)